Memory card authentication system, capacity switching-type memory card host device, capacity switching-type memory card, storage capacity setting method, and storage capacity setting program

Abstract

A system for authenticating a memory card including: a capacity switching-type memory card host device including a capacity switch notification module which notifies a memory card targeted for exchanging information that the capacity switching-type memory card host device handles a capacity switching-type memory card, and a capacity switch authentication module which authenticates whether the targeted memory card is the capacity switching-type memory card; a capacity switching-type memory card including a capacity switching-type controller which flags the large-capacity expression register use flag on receipt of notification of being the capacity switching-type memory card host device; and a bus which transmits and receives data between the capacity switching-type memory card host device and the capacity switching-type memory card.

1. A storage device configured to be connectable to a host device, the storage device comprising:
 a storage element configured to include a first storage area managed by a first file system and a second storage area managed by a second file system; 
 a first register configured to retain information on a storage capacity of the first storage area; 
 a second register configured to retain information on a storage capacity exceeding the storage capacity of the first storage area; and 
 a controller configured to control the storage element, 
 wherein the controller receives an initialization command from the host device. 
 
   
   
     2. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller receives notification that the host device handles the storage device, as part of an argument of the initialization command. 
   
   
     3. The storage device of  claim 2 , wherein the host device, which handles the storage device, accesses both of the first and second storage areas. 
   
   
     4. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller permits that the host device accesses the second storage area when the controller receives notification that the host device handles the storage device. 
   
   
     5. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller notifies a flag to the host device when the controller receives information that the host device handles the storage device. 
   
   
     6. The storage device of  claim 5 , wherein the controller notifies the flag to the host device, as part of an argument of a response to a register information retrieval command received from the host device. 
   
   
     7. The storage device of  claim 6 , wherein the argument of the response to the register information retrieval command includes any of 127 bits and 32 bits. 
   
   
     8. The storage device of  claim 5 , wherein the controller comprises:
 an interface connected to the storage element through an address bus; 
 a comparator configured to receive an access destination to the storage element from the interface; and 
 a selector configured to select any of output data from the storage element and partition information which cannot be authenticated by the host device, based on information from the comparator and the flag, and transmit any of the data and the information thus selected to the interface. 
 
   
   
     9. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the first file system is the FAT 16 file system and the second file system is the FAT 32 file system. 
   
   
     10. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein an argument of the initialization command includes 32 bits. 
   
   
     11. The storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising a master boot sector configured to retain file information of the first and second storage areas. 
   
   
     12. The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the storage device has dimensions of 24×32×2.1 mm; and
 wherein the storage device includes a copyright protection function compliant with a secure digital music initiative standard.